Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar termed it a “mystery” how the IPL generation has been able to seamlessly adapt to the demands of Test cricket, comparing the modern players’ transition from T20s to the longest format to pop singers attempting classical ragas. Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Manjrekar marvelled at the ability of the current generation, which has grown up playing T20 cricket, to make the significant technical adjustments required for red-ball cricket.
In both the game of ball and the game of gain,” Manjrekar said. “Modern pop singers, if they are asked to do classical singing, ragas, then it will be very difficult. But these people are doing that. It is a mystery to me that the generation of the IPL, the generation of T20 cricket, can play such good Test cricket. With India’s young squad featuring several IPL and T20 stars currently engaged in a two-Test series against Sri Lanka, Manjrekar’s observations underline the changing nature of the modern cricketer, who is increasingly expected to switch between vastly different formats with ease.
